Happy Job Hunting!

Show Notes

If you’re ready to look for a job, there are some things you need to consider to make your job hunt a happy experience. We’ll talk about them today on MoneyWise.

• SOME RULES NEVER CHANGE
• Some rules of job-hunting haven’t changed.
• One of those rules is that networking is vital! By some estimates, about 85% of jobs are filled without ever being advertised. With networking, who you know” can be on a par with what you know.
• So make a plan to contact at least one person you know in your line of work every day, and let them know that you’re looking and the kind of job you’re seeking. Keep a list of people you’ve talked to and notes about the conversation.
• Another thing that hasn’t changed is that you must always be looking for ways to improve your job skills, and that’s if you’re actively seeking a new job or not. It’s easier than ever these days to find online classes for additional training.
• Concentrate on skills that transfer to other types of businesses or industries, for example, things like customer service, HR, and bookkeeping.
• Then update your resume and LinkedIn profile to show those skills or certifications, and specify how they’ve increased revenue or cut expenses in your current or previous jobs.
• Now, we’ve talked in the past about how important it is when interviewing to never say anything bad about your current or previous employers or on social media.
• Hiring managers routinely screen a prospect's social media postings, and if they see you bad-mouthing someone, they’ll assume you’ll do it to them, too.
• And while we’re at it, do I have to say never post any kind of objectionable material on social media? In a CareerBuilder survey, 57% of employers said they found content on social media that made them eliminate an otherwise promising candidate. So never put anything up you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see.
• THE NEW RULES
• Some things have changed over time, of course, and one of them is that you have to take social media to a new level. It’s not just about avoiding bad content. You want to use those platforms to highlight your favorable attributes.
• That same CareerBuilder survey found that 70% of employers use social media to check up on candidates, and this should drive the point home, 43% said that an applicant’s social media content contributed to their decision to extend a job offer.
• That’s how important social media has become. So you want to use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to highlight your career-related skills.
• Now, if you haven’t been in the job hunt for the past couple of years, there’s an entirely new thing you have to adapt to and that's making a good impression in a video interview. One survey has revealed that a whopping 86% of companies are now using video platforms for interviews.
• So If you’ve never done a video interview before, it’s a good idea to set up a practice session with a friend or family member so you can get comfortable with the process. Position your computer so there’s a professional-looking background or at least nothing that appears untidy.
• Adjust your camera so you’re eye-to-eye with the interviewer. Dress much like you would for an “in-person” interview. Alert others in the house not to disturb you during the interview and close the door to keep out noise and pets out of the room. You don’t want your cat walking across your keyboard during your interview.
• Also, have a copy of your resume and other related paperwork handy in case the interviewer refers to it.
• And finally, follow up the online interview with an email no later than the next day.
• Do those things and you’re far more likely to have a happy job hunting experience.

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